More 50 Year Old World's Fair Fun (Video)

[penpusher]

Poking around YouTube for some more about the 1964-65 New York World's Fair actually had a lot of results!

I think this World's Fair really had an impact on the direction the country went. Certainly Walt Disney had a lot to do with what happened, as the Disney Imagineers were responsible for several of the pavilions presented, and I'll get to that in a moment.

But the commercial element of the Fair is what really stands out more than anything. There were pavilions for various states and other countries, but the impact of the corporate sponsored elements was undeniable.


Let's Go Back to 1964 and have a look through some of the more notable filmed pieces.

Here's the perfect place to start: this humorous promo film for the World's Fair. It runs 25 minutes but it's pretty entertaining, and really gives you a view of what being on the grounds was really like.

Watch on YouTube

That leads to this segue titled "Sinclair at the World's Fair." Some people remember the early 1990s ABC puppet based sitcom "Dinosaurs," about the Sinclair family. Their surname came from this now diminished oil company! With a bit more of a tour around the grounds, you get to see their nearly "Back to the Future" style 2015 gas station, with rocket ships rotating around a circular base to your car to pump your petrol, and the large (presumably lifesized) Dinos they displayed outside in the fair grounds. Lots more footage from around the fair is included here. 15 minutes.

Watch on YouTube

Next, let's get Uncle Walt involved, and was he ever! First, let's go on a ride with Ford, as they present "The Magic Skyway," a trip through the history of the Earth, narrated by Mr. Disney himself. It's a 15 minute tour, riding in your brand new 1964 Ford convertible! Whatta ride!

Watch on YouTube

And the one fair attraction that is still being attended today (in every Disney Theme Park globally) is "It's a Small World," which was in the Pepsi Pavilion, but was allegedly designed to celebrate UNICEF = the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. This featurette, produced as only Disney could, and again hosted by Walt himself, here's 15 minutes in the 100 countries of that attraction.

Watch on YouTube

Now since low_delta mentioned the Johnson Wax Pavilion was relocated and repurposed (or was supposed to be repurposed) as part of the S.C. Johnson headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin - I think there was some issue with it? Here's the film that ran inside that saucer shaped theater: "To Be Alive!" It's 19 minutes.

Watch on YouTube

And that's all for this trip to the fair!

Comments

[shay-writes.livejournal.com]

I went to the 1984 World's Expo in New Orleans. It was very interesting. I think the coolest thing was seeing a space shuttle up close.

I'm going to watch these videos, they look interesting. :)

[penpusher.livejournal.com]

Cool! I watched them all (and some others that I will post tomorrow and a few others that I won't be posting for one reason or another) because I do think it gives you a sense of what the era was like, what people found important and what this fair was all about.

These are the longer videos, actually. The rest will be shorter.

What was the New Orleans World Expo all about? I bet it was exciting!

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize the Dinosaur family was named Sinclair. Funny!

All those cars!

Cool film. I don't recall hearing of any issues with the theater.

If anyone is interested, here is a recent photo of the theater:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/14542870@N03/8034639313
Back then, it wasn't mounted in the middle of a curvy brick building. It was sorta hovering under an archy thing.
http://www.nywf64.com/johwax03.shtml

Apaprently, they kept the archy thing in Wisconsin for a while. Maybe there was a problem with it?
http://scjohnson.com/en/company/architecture/golden-rondelle.aspx

[penpusher.livejournal.com]

Oh, I seem to recall you saying something about not being able to go into a portion of that bricked up building for some reason? Or was that a different part of a different building on the Johnson Campus? Now, I'm just confusing myself!

Yes, the flying saucer theater was suspended under that cantilevered archway on the fair grounds. But more Fair stuff, tomorrow!

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

The Research Tower (can be seen in the second and third photos on the last link I gave) has always been off limits to the public. Previously, it was an active research center, then it was not up to current fire codes. Just last week they announced that for the first time ever, it will be open for tours.

[penpusher.livejournal.com]

Oh right! The Research Tower. What was I thinking? So I presume they brought the tower up to code if they're now having tours.

But what goes on in the saucer? Is it still a theater? And if so, who attends what films there?

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what they did to it, regarding code. The main thing was the lack of fire exits. Maybe the tour only goes in the ground floor?

I think it's still a theater, for the visitor's center. Yes, that's it. They show To Be Alive! and Carnaúba: A Son's Memoir.

http://www.scjohnson.com/en/company/visiting/film_descriptions.aspx

[penpusher.livejournal.com]

Oh it's cool that they're showing "To Be Alive!" So it's really a bit of the fair preserved, and maybe the most authentic part of the fair kept together as it was. I'm sure their copy of the film is in better shape than this YouTube one! Plus the full theater experience!